Fashion Monday with JJ Lee

Q. Elbow patches are kind of hot in a "professor that might secretly be Indiana Jones" sort of way - but they also look kind of contrived - especially on a brand new jacket. Does the elbow patch have a place on a new jacket or does it belong only in a vintage piece? A: Style Master says - If I had a whip (maybe I do, maybe I don't), I would crack it now. Elbow patches are best when patching a hole in a well-loved garment. If the hole appears on the left, only patch the left. Symmetry is for suckers and the quirk of one-sided patching gives a whiff of old establishment thriftiness. Admittedly, this year, elbow patches are everywhere (AGAIN in 2012, I wrote this nearly a year ago). So, I concede to the inevitable, the same way Indiana conceded to the feisty Marion Ravenwood. If you must buy a garment with elbow patches, make sure they COVER the elbows and not the upper arm or forearm. If they don't, someone should conk your crystal skull. Read more: htt...

This fa ll there will be much talk about the bomber jacket. The term, bomber, will be applied to a lot of short jackets with ribbed waistbands whether they are in fact based on aviator or motorcycle or infantry blouson jacket styles. Above is a picture of Tuskegee airmen during the Second World War. They were some of the first black fighter pilot's in US history. You can find more about them here . Of course, I just want to talk about their clothes. They are wearing the classic aviator jacket, the A2, as designated by the US Air Force. It is COLLARED. On the shoulders do sit epaulettes or straps. Notice the pockets. They are flapped PATCH pockets. They are not slash pockets (they often sit at an angle). The ribbing is low enough to cover the belt line. There was also a G-1 jacket. It has a fur-lined collar and it was used by the Navy and Marines. Most people who see this jacket will often call them "bombers." But when I hear bomber jacket, I think of the gunners ...